When Ray later told girlfriend Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) that he had been a victim of racial profiling, she encouraged him to channel his negativity into doing something positive - suggesting that he could become a mentor to young people by advising them on how to cope in similar situations.

Venn appeared on ITV1's This Morning today (September 13) and praised EastEnders bosses for embarking on the storyline.

He commented: "For me, of course, I was very impressed by EastEnders for even making the choice to tackle such a pertinent, very relevant issue. It felt very close to my heart.

"It happened to me when I was younger a couple of times - I was stopped by the police for random reasons. I felt violated and disrespected, and their reasons as far as I'm concerned had no weight behind them. I thought, 'This just isn't right'. A number of my friends have experienced similar situations."

Asked about Kim's suggestion that Ray could become a mentor, Venn replied: "That's exactly what will be taking place. Ultimately he does start up a potential scheme for youths and kids to help empower them, so they can equip themselves in situations similar to that - [to have] a bit more self-respect, know how to carry themselves and not deal with it in a violent or aggressive manner."

The actor added that he hopes the storyline will help to establish Ray as a more well-rounded character.